Good tourism vibes post-World Cup
JOHANNESBURG – A survey released by market research company African Response found that 96 per cent of World Cup visitors to South Africa said that they would possibly return to the country, while 92 per cent would recommend the country to friends and family as a holiday destination.
The survey included 722 tourists, interviewed in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria and investigated perceptions of the different elements of the South African experience, including roads, accommodation, stadiums, policing and safety, among others. African Response MD Beatrice Kubheka told Engineering News that the survey confirmed positive post-World Cup press regarding the success of the tournament and its implications for tourism and foreign investment. Respondents rated the country’s stadiums the highest in terms of elements contributing to the overall South African experience, with 87 per cent rating their perception and experience at the stadiums as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.
Kumba seeks other iron ore buyersJOHANNESBURG – Kumba Iron Ore may look for other domestic buyers to take extra ore if ArcelorMittal’s South African unit shuts down one of its plants, Business Report newspaper said yesterday. The South African arm of the world’s largest steel maker said on Friday it may close its 1,2 million-tonne Saldanha plant and cut all exports after it failed to reach a deal with Kumba over ore prices. Kumba, a unit of global miner Anglo American Plc , is the world’s tenth-largest producer of iron ore. In February it terminated a long-term deal under which it sold ore to ArcelorMittal at a discount, saying it would sell at market rates from March. The dispute has been in mediation since. Kumba wants to make the steel maker pay for ore in advance, starting in August. ArcelorMittal previously rejected Kumba’s proposed two new pricing systems while the dispute was in arbitration. NCCI hails Angolan tradeOMBADJA – Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) President Tara Shaanika has described the trade between Angola and Namibia as positive, Angop reported. Speaking at the end of the visit of Namibian businessmen to Ombadja, Shaanika said the partnership between Angolan and Namibian entrepreneurs as encouraging, particularly in Angola’s southern Cunene province. During the visit, the Namibian delegation assessed the economic potential of the region for private investment in agriculture, energy and civil construction. According to the Angolan National Agency for Private Investment (Anip), Namibian investments in Angola reached US$5 million in 2009.Gas hunt in KarooJOHANNESBURG – Petroleum International (SPI), the wholly owned upstream oil and gas subsidiary of Sasol, said yesterday it would study the potential for shale gas in the Karoo Basin. SPI said this followed the successful award of a joint application with Statoil ASA and Chesapeake Energy Corporation for an onshore petroleum Technical Cooperation Permit (TCP) in South Africa. The TCP covered an area of around 88 000 square kilometres, primarily located in the Free State and also covering areas in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The joint venture partners planned to evaluate available geological information on the area to determine the potential for shale gas.
